To Fear the Living
by thtasian
Summary: He said everything was going to be alright. The dead are not the only thing survivors have to worry about. The living is just as horrifying, maybe more. When hope is all anyone has left of their humanity, can Amelia Shay Wei find her way through a world without hope? Through trauma and trials, Amelia finds that maybe, just maybe, all life is still precious. Eventual [DD/OC].
**A/N:** This story follows all the main events of the television series; however, some events will change and be added according to how my character interacts with other characters. Rated M for violence, gore, and everything else that happens in **TWD**.

Eventually **DD/OC** : It is a very slow going story, with hopefully logical progression.

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 **Warning:** Relationships will not be obvious straight off. It will be a story illustrating the complexity of human emotion.

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 **Disclaimer:** I am not in any way , shape, or form responsible for the creation of "The Walking Dead" or its characters or even the plot of AMC. The only things that are mine are the OC's and changes to the events and personalities of the characters.

I do not have a beta so please forgive any grammatical or spelling errors. Also I am sorry for the infrequent updates because of school.

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 **To Fear the Living**

 **Chapter One:**

 **Why Bother?**

Killing never should come easy. At least, that's what everyone thought before _The Turn_. Before, killing was a last resort for average people, not including criminals. Before, things weren't easy, but they were easier. Killing was one of those things that just happened. People heard about it on the news, but they were far removed from the situation. Public apathy was what they called it. People didn't care. They thought it could never happen to them. They were wrong. _Humanity_ was wrong.

Military, police, hunters, survivalists, and the lucky few, they were the ones had the best chance for surviving in this world. Children, parents, and the elderly, they were the ones that had the worst chance.

Since the beginning, the world has been divided into dualities, good and bad, right and wrong, dark and light. Few recognized the gray areas in life, and those who did were shunned. So people pretended to see the world like everyone else, they pretended for so long that they forgot that they were pretending.

And so, the Mother Nature came to realize that these false creatures were a disease. That Humanity was a virus, a virus that outlived its usefulness to her. The virus was killing her.

And so, Nature formed a cure for her ailment. This cure was to wipe out Man, and those who survived The Cure would remember Natures lesson forever.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She had killed her brother. She had killed her family. She was alone now, Amelia thought.

Her mother had gone first, infected by some lady at the base. Scratched. It had been slow and agonizing, and at first they had barely noticed it happening. A few days after the scratch came the fever. Being military, they knew what was happening; they had heard it for months.

Amelia's mother, Luu, asked her husband to kill her, before she turned, before the fever got bad. He did.

Amelia's poor father, Robert, immersed himself in his work after the funeral. He went on mission after mission. Him being a Navy Seal was hard enough on his remaining family. That was before he tried to get himself killed. Higher-up's knew what he was doing, but they were short on men as it was, they couldn't deny him assignments. No one had that luxury anymore.

After a particularly difficult assignment, Robert came home with a nasty wound. He had been infected. He was put down.

Everything was left to Amelia and her kid brother, Aaron. Both Luu and Robert were first generation Japanese American citizens, Amelia's grandparents had emigrated from Japan in the 1960's. Because of this Amelia and Aaron had no other family in the States; the government said that they could stay in their house on the Naval base, Kings Bay Base. They said that it would be the safest place for them, with the world how it was.

Amelia was 26 at the time, in her third year of med-school. After already graduating regular college with two majors, one in botany, and the other in chemistry, she had gone back to become a doctor. She never finished. She went straight home when her mother passed, and never went back. She couldn't have gone back anyway.

While her father tried to kill himself, Amelia took care of the house and Aaron. She tried to escape in her training. Kendo and iaido had been Amelia's past-time passion ever since Luu had gotten her a free lesson from one of her friends on base who knew this guy who knew a guy.

When Aaron was at school Amelia worked part time at the dojo. Being a 5th dan in both kendo and iaido, she assisted Kotoro sensei with training the younger children. They recited the purpose of kendo at the beginning of every class.

 _To mold the mind and body._

 _To cultivate a vigorous spirit,_

 _And through correct and rigid training,_

 _To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo._

 _To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor._

 _To associate with others with sincerity._

 _And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself._

 _Thus will one be able_

 _To love one's country and society;_

 _To contribute to the development of culture;_

 _And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples._

It had all been for Aaron. Everything Amelia did after her mother died, it had been for him, but now he was gone forever.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 _So much for peace and prosperity. Everything had gone to shit. Go to Atlanta they said. It will be ok they said. They have it all under control they said._ Amelia thought to herself as she trooped under the smoldering Georgian sun.

She tugged at the assault bag on her back; Amelia huffed as she continued her trek north towards Atlanta. Adjusting her katana at her hip habitually, Amelia sighed as she trudged forward.

She made sure her silencer was on her custom Bersa .380 and still strapped to her upper thigh as she came upon a house. Creeping off to the side of the back door, Amelia crouched down like her father and mother had told her ever since she was young. Listening for movement on the other side she slowly opened the door.

The inside of the house seemed empty. Amelia had her left hand at her scabbard ready to unlock her katana at the first sign of movement. As she checked all of the rooms. She silently made her way through the house. Unlocking her katana, she knocked on the wall softly.

There was a groan on the other side. She narrowed her eyes as she drew her katana with her right hand. She took a breath and pushed the door open. The smell of death was strong.

There was one of those _things_ coming straight at her. It had what looked like several bullet holes in its chest and a slash at its neck, with skin hanging off its collar bones. It clicked its teeth at her. She steadied herself as she waited for it to come closer.

 _Shlnnnk-_

Amelia wiped off the dark ichor from her blade and quickly sheathed it. Looking around the room she realized it was a music room.

There was a grand piano in the center. Shaking her head she made her way towards it. Running her fingers across the dusty top, Amelia sighed.

She made her way out of the room and found the kitchen. She pulled open the cabinets and found three cans of stew and one can of spaghetti-o's. She snorted as she pulled off her bag and stored the cans in the compartments she had for food.

As she rose off the floor, she checked the drawers; she rummaged through them, and came across some Bayer and a bottle of Zyrtec. She stored them in her bag, and made her way to the bedroom.

She found some clothing and stashed them away in her bag.

As she made her way back through the living-room, she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

 _I can't stay here for the night._ She thought as she exited the house. _I need to get to higher ground, further north._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Amelia hid her bag under some thick foliage out of the way near the base of a tree. She turned and shimmied her way up the trunk to the highest steady branch. She untied part of the long rope she was using as a belt around her waist. She secured herself to the part of the branch closest to the trunk.

She sighed as she closed her eyes...

"' _Melia! Did you see the picture I drew today?"_

" _Hmm?" Amelia turned and smiled at Aaron. "Oh it's really good Aari."_

" _Thanks! This is you and this is dad." Aaron grinned at her._

 _Amelia raised a brow as she laughed softly. "You're gonna be an artist when you grow up bud."_

 _Aaron scrunched up his face. "Ew. I don't wanna. I wanna be a soldier, like dad and mom." He looked up at Amelia. "I wanna be a fighter like you 'Melia."_

 _Amelia shook her head at him and laughed. "If you really wanna be like mom and dad and me, you gotta keep your grades up. Then you can learn to kick butt."_

" _Aww,but I wanna learn now!" Aaron giggled._

 _Amelia rolled her eyes as she took his hand. "You want mac-n-cheese when we get home?" she asked. "There's a whole box with your name on it."_

" _Yeah!" Aaron jumped. "I'll race ya home!" he exclaimed as he pulled his hand out of Amelia's grip and darted off._

 _Amelia laughed as she raced after him._

 _As she turned the corner, she heard a scream. "'MELIA!"_

" _Aaron?" she whispered. "AARON!" she screamed as she tore off towards his voice._

 _Aaron was laying on the ground crying and screaming as one of those things bit at his foot. He tried to kick it in the face. "'Melia." he whimpered as the thing started making its way to his neck._

" _No." she cried. "No, no, no , no, no, no, NOOO!"_

 _Amelia ran over to her brother and drew her katana. She stabbed the thing through its skull and sliced the top of its head off. She fell to her knees as she picked up her little brother._

" _It's gonna be ok Aari. I promise. It's gonna be alright." She sobbed._

" _Ma'am…. Hey, sweetie. We need to get him to the hospital." Amelia turned and looked at the man, not noticing when he got there. "Come on. You need to get up now, and let us take him."_

 _Amelia sobbed harder as she clung to Aaron. He little Aaron. "You said we were safe." She whispered._

" _YOU SAID WE WERE SAFE!" she screamed at him. "No, one is safe now ma'am."_

 _They pried Aaron out of her arms and drug her to a car. She cried all the way to the hospital._

" _Ma'am. You know what has to be done." Some faceless doctor said to her._

" _We can do it or you can do it." They said._

" _I'll do it." Amelia answered emotionlessly. It was something they were offering family members and loved ones of those infected. They said it's easier on the patient if someone they loved did it before they turned. So they could die peacefully. Permanently._

" _He has 48 hours, considering his age and where he got bit." The doctor told her. "I wouldn't wait that long though because you know how painful it will be in the last hours."_

 _Amelia's hands twitched in her lap as she flinched. "I know."_

" _You can be with him for the next two days." They said._

" _Thanks."_

 _Amelia made her way into Aarons hospital room. "Hey Aari."_

 _Aaron slowly flicked his eyes towards her. "'Melia…" he rasped._

 _She hiccupped. "Don't talk bud. I know it hurts." Her eyes swam as she got closer to the bed._

" _Make… it... stop, 'Melia." He winced. "Please, sissy." Their eyes connected._

 _Amelia cried out. "I'm so sorry Aaron. I was supposed to protect you. We were supposed to be safe here on base."_

" _Urhnn." Aaron groaned painfully. "I don't wanna be a monster." He sobbed softly._

 _Amelia's eyes widened as she was racked with renewed sorrow. "Oh, Aaron. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." She cried. "It isn't supposed to be like this."_

 _Aaron whimpered as he tried to reach out to her._

 _She took his hand and kissed his forehead. "I'm so sorry buddy."_

" _It's ok, 'Melia. I get to go see mom and dad. In heaven." He whispered. Amelia sobbed harder as tears streamed down her cheeks and into Aaron's hair._

 _She pulled out a stiletto blade that the hospital provided._

" _Just stab him right in the back of the head where the spine meets the skull. It's the soft spot directly in the back of your head. It will be painless and quick." The nurse said._

 _Amelia cried as she looked at Aarons face. Their eyes connected for the last time. "I love you 'Melia."_

" _I love you too Aari. So much." She sobbed._

 _Shqwip-_

Amelia woke with a start. Wiping her face of tears, she untied herself and looked down as she made her way down the tree.

It had been a week since she left Kings Bay Base. It had been three months since Aaron's passing. They said that it was an old lady that attacked him. She was living on base with her son, and she had passed in her sleep. They didn't know you could contract the virus without being bit. They didn't know that they were all infected bitten or not.

After that security became tighter. All the elderly were herded up. There was a curfew put into place. Amelia stayed in her house for two weeks after Aaron died. She barely ate and barely slept. One of her dad's old friends stopped by to check on her after three weeks, he found her in the back yard hacking up a practice dummy, with her hands raw from how long she had been at it. She almost killed him, because he had surprised her.

 _What a silly way to die._ She thought.

She cried on his shoulder for 5 hours. His name was Daniel. He was 38. He took her home and nursed her hands and fed her. He told her it would be ok. That she would be ok. That she was stronger now.

About two months later he was deployed on an assignment in Cynthiana, Kentucky. It was something about a hospital. Something about them having a mass outbreak. He stayed there for 44 days. Then shit hit the fan. After 'controlling' the situation for 44 days, there was an accident. A herd of those dead things attacked the hospital. Wiped out the entire town. Daniel didn't make it. As soon as Amelia heard, she packed her mom's old assault bag full of clothes, medicine, and food. She cleaned her katana and rewrapped the scabbard and the handle. She made sure her dad's practice gun, the Bersa Thunder .380, was in working condition and the silencer still fit properly.

A week later she was forced to leave.

The base had fallen.

Her home was gone.

She killed for the second time as she left. A woman attacked her as she was running towards the entrance gate. The lady wanted her gun. Amelia couldn't give her that gun. The woman didn't have time to react as the 5'3 lithe Japanese girl she had sorely underestimated, cut her down. Amelia puked right next to the dying woman.

After knowing what it felt like to kill the Living, Amelia didn't have a problem killing the Dead. The way she saw it, after what they did to her family, what they made her do to her little brother, they deserved to die. They all deserved to die again and again. Amelia closed herself off from people. She no longer spoke, she couldn't. She preferred silence over the noise. The silence kept her alive.

After being on the run for days. She developed a silent trod to avoid the Dead. She learned a lot in a week.

She learned that they react to sound and smell. She learned that even if you decapitate them, the head remains animated, only a wound to the brain could stop them.

She learned if you got cut and accidently got Dead blood in your cut, you wouldn't turn. Only a bite or deep scratch could turn someone. She learned if you get their gore on you, enough to cover your scent, they would leave you alone; they would mistake you for one of them.

So she kept a jar of Dead blood to mask her scent.

She would dip her fingers in it every few hours and cover all her major pulse points. She had a jacket that she smothered in Dead blood to keep on top of her cleaner clothes.

Even with the blood dry, it still worked, as long as she had her pulse points covered. Every time she would encounter one of _them_ she made sure to keep her Blood jar full and put some more on her jacket.

She avoided other people at all costs. Most of the time she would just travel with a few of the Dead and disappear. The groups she came across were scared and panicked, they didn't have the skills or the drive to kill the Dead. Groups were dangerous. Especially unorganized groups. Especially desperate groups. No matter how well they meant, they were dangerous. People were dangerous. Occasionally she would come across a group resting, Amelia would leave a few cans of food for them in hopes it would be found and would help.

After everything she still tried.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After walking for another day, Amelia could see Atlanta's city outline. The city looked dead. No pun intended, it looked like no one was there, no refuge, no safety, no nothing.

As she entered the city she looked around and made her way through the main road. There were Dead down every alley. For some reason they were all herded together, following each other's sounds. She reached the other side of the city after a few hours of looking around.

 _Well this was a waste of time and resources._ Amelia thought as she turned to look the way she came.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves. _A horse?_ She furrowed her brow as she listened carefully.

She widened her eyes. _Shit. It is a horse._

Amelia ran for the nearest ally. She hid behind a dumpster as she listened to the horse get closer and closer.

The sounds stopped briefly, then continued on the way she had just come. _There's only Dead that way… They're going to fucking die._

Amelia peeked her head over the dumpster and out of the alley. She could see the back of the man riding the horse. He had what looked like a cowboy hat on and he was wearing a khaki colored shirt. _What the hell? Are those guns strapped to his back?_

Amelia shook her head and snorted softly. _A cowboy in the big city._ She rolled her eyes. _He needs to get out of here before he stirs them up, he's making enough noise the whole fuck ass city can hear him._

Amelia walked out of the alley quietly and headed down the street, sticking to the shadows incase the man turned around. She dogged the Dead ones from the bus that the man had awoken. She ducked behind a tank as he turned the corner. _Why am I doing this? I should just leave and let him get killed. But no dumb ass on a fucking walking dinner bell comes riding into town._

Amelia jumped when she heard the sound of the horse running, then distress.

Amelia poked her head up and saw that the horse had drawn the attention of the entire city. The man had fallen off and the horse was being fed on, just on the other side of the tank.

As the Dead got riled up into a frenzy, they ignored Amelia. _Stay calm. You smell like them. Just stay still and no sudden movements._ She thought to herself. She took a deep breath and bent to look under the tank. _Please don't be dead._

He saw her.

 _Fuck._ Amelia's eyes widened as he made eye contact. He was right under the tank crawling away from some Dead that had followed him under.

A Dead man walked past Amelia and bent down to look under the tank too. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Dead were crawling under the tank from all sides. Amelia started crawling towards him too, trying to blend in.

He started shooting at them, which drew more. _What a fucking dick._

 _He's gonna shoot me if I don't do something._ Amelia made a face at him. She raised her eyebrows at him and jutted her chin. She tried to make him understand she was alive. He furrowed his brow as he shot a Dead man next to her. She got closer to him. She cleared her throat. "It's ok." She mouthed to him.

His eyes widened almost comically if it wasn't for the death trap they were currently in. He put his gun to his head.

Amelia shook her head violently. She gestured upwards. His eyes widened as he saw the port underneath the tank. He clawed his way up into the tank. She crawled her way in behind him after shoving her bag in. He shut the port, as he heaved a panicked breath. He sat back against the wall of the tank in relief.

There was a dead soldier next to him. His head started moving. The man in the hat saw him and panicked putting the gun under the other man's chin.

Amelia wildly waved at him, trying to get him to stop, as she got out her knife to go stab the soldier.

BANG!

RIIIIIIIIINNNGGGG!

Amelia clutched her head as the sound of the shot echoed in the tank. The man in the hat held his head as he stood up looking out of the top hatch. He quickly closed it.

Amelia sat up. "Well we're kind of stuck." He said.

Amelia glared at him, as she rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. She pointed at him and glared harder. He raised a brow at her. "Why aren't you talkin'?"

She glared even harder at him. She pointed to her throat and shrugged, as she flipped him off. He huffed a laugh. "Ok. You don't talk or you don't speak english?" he asked.

Amelia rolled her eyes and grunted at him exasperatedly, giving him a pointed look. " So you understand English? You just can't or don't talk. My name's Rick. Rick Grimes." He said as he held out a hand. "What's your name?"

Amelia looked at his hand then back up to him and rolled her eyes again as she took his hand in a brief shake. She spelled out her name in the dirt that littered the floor of the tank.

"Amelia?" Rick asked. She nodded. "You got a last name?" he asked as he smiled at her. She looked at him and shook her head. "You're not going to tell me?"

Amelia nodded. "Ah, I see, well I guess I did get us into this mess." He said, upset. Amelia nodded again as she pointed and glared at him again. _Damn skippy, you dumbass with your loud fucking horse. You mother freaking idiot._

Amelia glared at him and gestured to his clothes with a questioning look.

"I'm the Sheriff's Deputy of Cynthiana, Kentucky... Well at least I use to be."

 _Crackle –_

Amelia and Rick looked over at the radio.

"Psst. Hey. Dumbass."

Amelia and Rick eyed the radio as they made their way over to it.

Rick grabbed the radio.

"You alive in there?"

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 **A/N:** Whew.

So Amelia will eventually talk again so don't worry. I'm sorry if she's kind of Mary Sue right now. Hope you enjoy the read.


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